| The oldest, intact rabbit fossil appears to have been unearthed by scientists. The fossil comes complete with a skull, short forelimbs, hind legs and long front teeth. The ancient rabbit is described in the February 18th issue of Science. It has been named Gomphos elkema in honor of its distinctive front teeth. Gomphos is the word in Greek for teeth. The discovery adds new information to the science of evolution. It lends credence to the theory that lagomorphs (the group that includes pikas and rabbits both) were on the planet even before dinosaurs became extinct. The rabbit bones are said to be about 56 million years old. That is 20 million years older than similar rabbit bones that have been found. Dinosaurs were said to have vanished from earth about 65 million years ago. |
